Trump weighs in on scheduled Kavanaugh public hearing, slams Sessions once more
President Donald Trump/Evan El-Amin (Shutterstock.com).
In a wide-ranging interview, President Donald Trump spoke about sexual assault allegations against his second U.S. Supreme Court nominee and lamented “I don’t have an attorney general.”
When asked about the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, Trump on Tuesday told the Hill “we have to let both sides speak.”
“We have to take a look at his absolutely incredible record, a record like almost none other that I’ve seen.” the president says. “You know, between the schools, the intellect. You know I said [Monday], ‘not a blemish on his record.’ And you have to look at what she has to say. So, I don’t want to comment on her until I see her.”
Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist at Stanford University, says Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her at party in the early 1980s. A public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled for Monday, but a lawyer for Ford says she will not take part before an FBI investigation is conducted, USA Today reports.
Much of Trump’s interview centered on the investigation involving Russia and the 2016 presidential election. Trump said Jeff Sessions “didn’t have to recuse himself” from the investigation and that he’s very disappointed in the U.S. attorney general.
“And it’s very sad what happened. In the meantime, I don’t have an attorney general. It’s very sad. I’m not happy at the border, I’m not happy with numerous things, not just this,” the president said.
On Wednesday, Trump appeared to change his stance slightly when told reporters “We have an attorney general. I’m disappointed in the attorney general for many reasons,” the New York Times reports.
Trump also continued his criticism of Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who was appointed special counsel of the investigation by Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, after the president fired FBI director James Comey in 2017.
Trump told the Hill that every prosecutor in the special investigation team was a Democrat and Comey is Mueller’s “best friend.”
Edits fourth paragraph at 2:01 p.m.
